Towing with a smaller truck

[VirginiaAgent]

My first visit to the Trailer forum. I need some objective opinions.

I have a 2 wheel drive, 2006 Dodge Dakota 4.7 V8 with 3.55 gears, six speed manual trans., a class 4 weight distributing hitch, and helper springs. I occasionally pull a 2k pound, 2 horse bumper pull trailer with it, and it handles it fine. I'd like to move up in trailer size and get a 2 horse with more space in the front for storage.

The curb weight of the truck is 4,348 pounds. The GVWR is 6,010. The GCWR for the vehicle with 3.55 gears, is 5,500.

I am planning on having it re-geared to 4.10 gears in a few weeks.

The trailers that I'm looking at are around 3k pounds. All have electric brakes. Some are goosenecks, some are bumper pull. I would love to have a gooseneck due to the easier tow-ability and backing. There is a hitch shop in town that fabricates goosenecks for all kinds of trucks. They say they have done several for 3rd generation Dakotas. I know a gooseneck trailer will carry around 20% of the weight in the bed, but I routinely haul 1,500 pounds of hay in the back, and it barely even dips.

So, what kind of weight can I safely (and legally) pull? Getting a bigger truck is not an option. My Dakota is paid for, and only has 29k miles. I'd take a beating if I tried to sell it, and I can't handle a truck payment right now.

Keep in mind, each horse weighs a thousand pounds.

Thanks,
VA

 

[RoMad]

Your owners manual should have the towing capacity in it. I would not exceed that. One thing to remember is that stopping a heavy load is the dangerous part and a load levelling hitch is also a must in my opinion if you don't have a fith wheel or goose neck hitch.
For stopping, make sure you have a good quality, working brake control.

 

[VirginiaAgent]

The manual (Dodge website) says that "Maximum trailer weights = GCWR - Curb Wt. - 150 lbs. (allowance for the driver)."

That would mean 5,500 - 4349 = 1151. Subtract the mythical 150 lb. driver, and that gives you 1,001 lbs. as the maximum trailer weight????

That just can't be right. What am I missing?

 

[Soundguy]

i used to try tp pull with small trucks.

got tired of feeling unsafe and white knuckeling it when some idiot wants the lane in front of me more than i do..

I now stick to real trucks.. feel safer.. won't be going back.

good luck to you and the horses... getting up to speed ain't always the hard part. keeping it straight and stopping it in panic and not having the traler wag the dog are the scarry parts... best of luck...

 

[VirginiaAgent]

good luck to you and the horses... getting up to speed ain't always the hard part. keeping it straight and stopping it in panic and not having the traler wag the dog are the scarry parts... best of luck...

Exactly why I'd like to have a gooseneck. Looking in the rear view watching a bumper pull fishtailing is a bad feeling.

Found another Dodge website that says for my model, transmission, and gears, I can tow 5,950 lbs. With the 3.92 gears it jumps to 7,150 lbs.

Wonder why the conflicting information...

 

[Soundguy]

couldn't tell ya on the info.

As to trailer type. I doubt i ever buy another bumper pull trailer. GN is my fav... easier to back too.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Go to a reliable trailer dealer, they have the computer program that will tell you exactly what you have to have. I had the same dilemma with a Chevy Colorado, same class as your Dakota in towing my tractor at 4,000# and trailer at 1,000#, about where you are. They showed me the numbers. I bought a new 10K trailer at 1800# and a Dodge 350 dually truck. Now I feel safe. The other combo was scary. Can't afford it, maybe you need to assess what your life is worth and better, the other lives around you on the road.

Ron

 

[2458n]

I enjoyed the Soundguy's observation. Did a bunch of that style trailering in the the early 80's with the old Datsun. Man am I glad that period is behind me. !ton dually diesel 4x4 and several different trailers with brakes. Guy I worked with sold A toy truck to pull a Horse trailer. He hid out for a month afterwards.

 

[cockeyedMFer]

We used to tow car trailers with a 69 Cadillac convertible with one of those chrome ball hitches bolted to the bumper

Boy things have changed!

Your Dak will be very sensitive to weight placement in the trailer, and since its horses I guess you can't adjust that. The weight distributing hitch will make a big difference - make sure the bars are sized to the trailer, and 4 wheel trailer brakes are a necessity. If the truck and trailer don't have a nice level look to them while sitting, its a sign of trouble. Otherwise you won't really know until you try it. In europe its common to see light suvs and family sedans pulling big campers and even loaded car trailers. And you know their tow vehicles aren't high horsepower monsters.

With your setup my biggest concern is whether it would be stable in an emergency like sudden stops or a tire blowout.

I'm spoiled now with a one ton dually but not too long ago it was nothing for my f250 to pull a 12k trailer fully loaded with the sway bars chained up tight.

Today with the dually I had about 11,5 lbs behind me, the WD bars on the hitch weren't even hooked up, and you could barely tell it was back there. Honestly I was probably more cautious when driving the older, overweight trucks.

One other thing, what's the first gear ratio of your 6 speed? The lighter duty transmissions don't handle heavy loads from takeoff very well, even with 4.10's. Its not that they'll break, but rather it takes a lot of clutch to get off the line and you feel like you're really dogging the truck.



With an

 

[Ken45101]

Be careful with the weight on the rear axle with a gooseneck. Yes, they are a comparative dream to pull, but they are heavy. What are your tires, wheels and axles rated for? You don't want a blow out going around a curve with the horses in the trailer.

We had a 3/4 ton diesel and bought a gooseneck horse camper. Salesman said it would pull it fine. He was right. It pulled fine.....just wasn't stable! One slight gentle curves, I could feel the rear sagging and shifting. That was without horses or water! I went to a weight station. The rear axle was 300# overweight, with an empty trailer! Oh oh..... Traded the 3/4 ton on a 1 ton dually and the difference in stability was amazing.

I had a real eye opener some years back. We were going down to WVa to look for a place to take the horses. We did NOT have the trailer with us. We came around a curve on I-64 on the 6% downgrade section. There was a semi with the tractor pulled off onto the shoulder on the curve, but the trailer still blocking the lane. We were suddenly in the middle of a bunch of semis jockeying to shift lanes. I fear that if we had the trailer on, we would have been all over the place, probably on our side! You need maximum stability for emergency maneuvers and an overloaded truck won't give it to you.

 

[bucktaker]

Hopefully you will rethink your situation and instead of regearing a undersize truck trade it in on a larger more suited truck for horses. A full size 8 ft bed 1/2 ton with tow package is the min I would even consider. even better a 3/4 but its your call.....

 

[dodge man]

I'm just guessing the weight you were figuring in an earlier post was what you can haul in your bed, which sounds like about a 1000lbs. As far as what you plan on towing, I wouldn't do it with a Dakota.

 

[hslogger]

you can change this and you can change that but you are pushing your luck,especially with livestock, and a high center of gravity with horses, at that. Mister natural says get the right tool for the right job. Get the right stuff and have piece of mind going down the road for you, your horses and other vehicles

 

[WilliamBos]

i used to try tp pull with small trucks.

got tired of feeling unsafe and white knuckeling it when some idiot wants the lane in front of me more than i do..

I now stick to real trucks.. feel safer.. won't be going back.

good luck to you and the horses... getting up to speed ain't always the hard part. keeping it straight and stopping it in panic and not having the traler wag the dog are the scarry parts... best of luck...

I agree totally!! Right tool for the right job.

 

[LD1]

It seems to me that you have more payload capacity than quite a few half tons of the era. With a curb wt of ~4300 and a GVWR of 6000, You can almost haul a ton legally. But that would put quite a bit of weight over the rear axle and I'd be concerned with the rear axle rating. It should be on the door sticker as well. It wouldnt be hard to be under the GVWR of 6000, yet be OVER the RAWR.

I agree that you really should have a bigger truck, but just how often do you tow?? With a properly set up trailer, and brake controller, your going from a 2 horse trailer to a 2 horse trailer that only weighs 1k more??? And you say currently it tows fine??

I also agree something is amiss in your GCWR# of 5500lbs. The GCWR "should" be somewhere around the GVWR (6000#) + whatever you can tow. You can make whatever alterations, gears, springs, etc you want. But when it comes to legal, they go by the door sticker. You could put that dakota body on a 5500 if you want. But you still cannot "legally" tow more. So keep that in mind too.

Quite a few half tons out there tow 8-9k+. And a dakota isnt much behind a half ton. So towing 5-6k I dont think is a stretch. Just make sure you dont overload the rear axle, make sure you have good brakes/controller, and make sure you arent running P tires on the rear.

 

[schmism]

online source i found lists V8 equipiped 06 Dakota towing capacity at 7150 lbs.

10% TW of 715 lbs does fit within other online specs for payload capacity of the Dakota.

a "lightweight" 7K trailer with dual brakes would seem to serve you well in this case. many have payloads of close to 6K lbs.

Note i would not haul that kind of weight without dual trailer brakes (your going to have to custom order that or install the second set yourself) and a WD hitch.

 

[Ken45101]

online source i found lists V8 equipiped 06 Dakota towing capacity at 7150 lbs.

10% TW of 715 lbs does fit within other online specs for payload capacity of the Dakota.

a "lightweight" 7K trailer with dual brakes would seem to serve you well in this case. many have payloads of close to 6K lbs.

Note i would not haul that kind of weight without dual trailer brakes (your going to have to custom order that or install the second set yourself) and a WD hitch.

In most states, brakes on both axles are required by law. Some dealers skirt it to save a bit, but you are right, you want and need them.

 

[Soundguy]

if you don't tow alot.. .. before I'd regear the truck and still have one right on the white edge of leagal, and ambigous as to safety. I'd look for a used 'toy hauler'. IE.. find a 3/4 or 1 ton that someone has used most of the cosmetic life out of, but she still runs .. I see late 90's+ 1tons for sale for 3800$ and up depending on make, and engine. Theres a 96 gas 350 near my house for 3800, a slightly earlier one for 3900 with a diesel. the diesel is a lil cosmetically challanged due to age.. wouldn't be a family car go to sunday school. but i bet it loves safely pulling horse trailers and hauling mulch and sod. There was a chevy 1 ton at the used dealer for 2500 no ac.. looked good.. what's an ac repar cost full deal? 1000$ maybee?

that's the kind of deal to look for. used but running 3/4 or 1 ton... get a tag and some liability insurance and then you can feel safe about it... and don't have to get rid of your dakota.. etc.

just an idea anyway...

 

[VirginiaAgent]

You guys always have great observations. Thanks for the insight, and you've all given me allot to contemplate. In answer to LD1, I trailer the horses only a couple of times per year, but with a better trailer, maybe five times a year. And the trails I would go to are all local, within an hour or two.

All the trailers I'm looking have electric brakes. I agree, that's a must.

I have looked around for an affordable used "toy" haulers, but since this is southeastern Virginia, where everything costs three times more than it should, it's been hard to find. I'll keep looking, though, and maybe hold off on the gear swap for a while. It's going to run me 900 bucks.

VA

 

[VirginiaAgent]

You guys always have great observations. Thanks for the insight, and you've all given me allot to contemplate. In answer to LD1, I trailer the horses only a couple of times per year, but with a better trailer, maybe five times a year. And the trails I would go to are all local, within an hour or two.

All the trailers I'm looking have electric brakes. I agree, that's a must.

I have looked around for an affordable used "toy" haulers, but since this is southeastern Virginia, where everything costs three times more than it should, it's been hard to find. I'll keep looking, though, and maybe hold off on the gear swap for a while. It's going to run me 900 bucks.

VA